Combined telephone signal and jack.



No. 657,354. Patented Sept. n, I900. o. R. CLINE. COMBINED TELEPHONESIGNAL AND JACK.

Application filed Feb. 6, 1800) aNo Model.)

Wi'fgzsses 6, fi, 1 91am UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OREN R. CLINE, OF EL DORADO, KANSAS.

CDMBINED TELEPHONE SIGNAL AN D JACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,854, datedSeptember 11, 1900.

Application filed Pebruary ii, 1900. Serial No- 4,211. (No model.)

' and more particularly to that class employed in connection with theswitchboard for telephones, one object of the invention being to providea signal of simple and cheap construction and in which the act ofinserting the plug will restore the signal.

A further object of the invention is to provide means in the path ofmovement of the visual member of the signal for closing a bell-circuitto attract attention;

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichsimilar numerals of reference designate like and corresponding parts inthe several views, Figure 1 is a sectional View of a portion of aswitchboard and showing the parts of the present invention partly insection and partly in elevation, the mechanism being in its setposition. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the positions ofthe parts after the electromagnet which operates the signal has beenenergized. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 and illustrating theposition of the plug after it has engaged the indicating element andmoved it nearly to its set or restored position. Fig. 4 is an end viewshowing a modified form of tube and a second form of indicatorprojecting therefrom.

Referring now to the drawings, 5 represents a portion of. a switchboardhaving a plurality of similarly-equipped jack-sockets in the usualmanner, one of these openings being shown at 6 and formed with its frontend of lesser diameter than the rear end. Within the opening 6 isdisposed a tube 7, which is arranged with its forward end tilteddownwardly and terminating in the rear of the front face of the board 5.This tube 7 is adapted to receive an indicator element 8, which in thepresent instance is shown in the form of a ball, and which ball is ofsuch a diameter as to move freely through the tube 7. The tendency ofthe ball is to roll downwardly and outwardly of the forward end of thetube 7, that it may be visible by projecting from the forward end of theopening 6, and to hold the ball from total displacement thecontact-point of the line-spring 28, hereinafter described, is bent tobe in the path of movement of the ball for engagement thereby. In orderto hold the ball normally retracted to lie at the rear end of the tube7, an arc-shaped dog 10 is pivoted to an ear 11 upon the tube 7, one endof this dog being adapted to enter the tube through a slot 12 in theupper wall thereof. This inwardlyprojecting end of the dog is adapted tolie against the ball 8 and between it and the front of the board 5 tohold it securely in position, and in order to hold the dog in itsoperative relation to the ball a plate 14: is pivoted at one end to asuitable support and has a lug 15 upon its face which is adapted toengage a notch 16 in the rear end of the dog 10. The position of thislug 15 is such that when engaged with the notch 16 the opposite end ofthe dog is projected inwardly of the tube 7, as shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings.

The plate 14, above referred to, forms the armature of an electromagnet17, to the frame 18 of which the armature is pivoted. The electromagnet17 is disposed within an iron casing 18 to increase its efficiency, andthis casingextends beyond the front end of the electromagnet and forms ameans for the attachment of the electromagnet to the rear face of theboard 5 and in its operative position. Thus if the electromagnet 17 beenergized the armature formed by the plate 18 will be attracted and willdraw the lug 15 from the notch 16, when the dog 10 will be released andwill fall to the position shown in Fig. 2, and thus permit the ball 8 toroll downwardly and outwardly of the tube and project from the front ofthe switchboard. A spring-plate 20 is secured to the lower wall of theopening 6 and below the tube 7, the free end of this plate extendingforwardly beyond the end of the tube and into a position to receive thedirect weight of the ball 8,when the plate will be depressed intocontact with the contact-piece 22. The plate 20 and the contact-piece 22are in the circuit of the battery 23, which includes also a bell 24,this circuit being adapted to be opened and closed also by a switch 25.Thus when desired the switch 25 may be closed, so that the bell 24 willring when the ball has rolled to the front of the board to perform itsfunction of indication. A plug 27, of the usual form, is provided, andthis plug is adapted to engage the ball 8 when in its indicatingposition and move it backwardly to be rengaged by the dog 10. Aline-spring 28 is disposed in the upper portion of the opening 6 tonormally engage a contact 29, which is connected directly in the circuitof the magnet 17, this spring 28 being adapted for engagement by theplug 27 for movement from the contact 29 to break the circuit of themagnet 17. When the circuit of the magnet 17 is broken, thearmature-plate 14 will move away from the electromagnet and will lie ina position to engage its lug 15 with the notch 16 and hold the ballretracted after the plug is withdrawn. Above the spring 28 is a contact30, which is connected with a ringing-generator in the ordinary mannerand lies in the path of upward movement of the line-spring 28.

The plug 27 is of the usual construction, having a cord (not shown)which is of the usual flexible wire. The end of the wire which isattached to the plug is electrically connected with a ring or collar 35upon the outer surface of the plug, this collar having a peripheralgroove 36, which is so disposed that it will receive the angular lowerend of the line-spring 28 when the plug has been moved into the tube 7to an extent sufficient to engage the ball with the dog 10. When theline-spring is in engagement with this groove 36, the plug-cord is incircuit with the line, and the line-spring is raised to lie in aposition between and out of contact with the contact-points 29 and 30.

With the above construction it will be seen that when the electromagnet17 is energized by the sending of a signal along the line-wire the ball8 is released and rolls to project from the front of the board, it beingunderstood that the parts are normally in the positions shown in Fig. 1of the drawings. After the ball has been released by the closing of thecircuit of the electromagnet 17 the parts will lie in the positionsshown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The plug 27 is then manipulated topress the ball 8 backwardly and is at the same time raised to makecontact between the line-spring 28 and the contact 30 and is thendropped and moved on into the tube. This momentary raising of the plugis sufficient to close the circuit between the line spring and thecontact 30 for a sufficient time to ring up, and when the plug has beenmoved all the way in the ball will lie in engagement with the dog 10, asillustrated in Fig. 1, and the end of the line-spring will lie inengagement with the groove 36 to place the plug-cord in circuit with theline.

The structure of the present invention re quires no act in returning thesignals other than the mere insertion of the plug, the ball beingpositively returned and being retained in a manner that will absolutelyprevent accidental dislodgment, and consequently a false signal. VVheuthe mechanism of the present invention is to be employed in connectionwith a complete metallic circuit, the usual and additional line-springis used and a double plug is employed, all of which is well understoodby those skilled in the art and needs no illustration.

It will of course be understood th at in practice a disk or ring may besubstituted for the ball or that any bodily-movable object may be usedand that various changes in the specific arrangement and constructionshown may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings is shown an end View of a modified form oftube which is rectan gular in cross-section to receive a movableindicating-body in the form of a disk or ring 35. This tube is adaptedto be placed in the same position as the tube 7 in Figs. 1, 2, and 3,and the central portions of the sides of the tube are curved outwardly,as shown at 36, to receive the plug and permit movement of theindicating-body into engagement with its retaining-dog, which latter isconstructed and equipped in the same manner as the dog 10. In connectionwith this modified form of tube there is also employed the usualcontactsprings for engagement by the plug and also is employed a springfor closing the circuit of the night-bell under the influence of theweight or pressure of the disk or ring.

What is claimed is- 1. The combination with aswitchboardhaving ajack-socket and an inclined guideway leading to the socket, a rotatableindicator element in the guideway and adapted to roll therethrough intothe jack-socket, a latch for holding the indicator element normallyretracted, electrical terminals, and a plug having its body formed toenter the socket and passage or guide way leading thereto, to move theindicator element into engagement with the latch and to engage acontact, said latch having electrically-operated means for releasing itfrom the indicator element.

2. The combin ation with a switchboard having a jack-socket, of a balladapted for bodily movement to enter the socket, means for holding theball normally retracted, means for releasing the ball to permit it tomove to its indicating position, a plug adapted to fit the socket and toengage the ball and move it to its retracted position, and electricalcontacts disposed for engagement by the plug when the ball is moved intoengagement with its retaining means.

3. The combination with a switchboard hav= ing a jack-socket, of aguideway in the rear of the seat and leading thereto, a rotatable bodydisposed in the guideway and adapted to roll through the guideway intothe socket, a dog adapted to engage the body and hold it retracted, anelectromagnet having an armature for operative engagement with the dogto hold the latter in its operative position and to release the dog torelease the body, a plug adapted to enter the socket and to engage thebody and move it into engagement with the dog, and electrical contactsdisposed for contact by the plug when the body is moved into engagementwith its retaining means.

-1- The combination with a switchboard havin g a jack-socket, of atilted tube in the rear of the socket and leading thereto, a revolublebody disposed in the tube and adapted for movement therefrom into thesocket, a dog adapted for engagement with the body to hold it in itsretracted position, and an electromagnet provided with an armatureadapted to engage and hold the dog operative and to release the dog torelease the body.

5. The combination with a switchboard having a jack-socket adapted toreceive a plug and a guide-tube leading thereto, of a rotatableindicator disposed in the tube for movement therethrough into thesocket, means for holding the body normally retracted, a signal-circuitincluding a movable circuit-closing terminal in the path of movement ofthe body to receive pressure thereof to close the circuit, and a plugadapted to enter the socket and engage the indicator and move it intoongagement with its retaining means.

6. The combination with a switchboard having a jack-socket of a bodyadapted to roll into the socket, means for guiding the body to thesocket, means for holding the body normally retracted, means forreleasing the body to permit it to roll into the socket, and a plugadapted to enter the socket and engage the body and move it to itsretracted position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto a'ffixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

OREN R. OLINE.

Witnesses:

K. L. CLINE, J. G. CORY.

